An Unwelcome Duty

I was called to attend a death notification by the Police Department yesterday. I do this regularly and it is a difficult duty for sure. But yesterday was something especially awful. Typically such a call is to accompany officers sharing the news to a family death. I have done this countless times over the years. While it is a necessary duty, it is obviously difficult breaking this tragic news. But yesterday was different. I was called to the scene of mother who killed her child and then took her own life. It was gruesome and I felt for the witnesses, her other children and the officers who were called to manage the scene and investigation. These officers are parents themselves and seeing this tragedy close up may be part of their job, but jars us all about the worrisome state of humanity. Being a close witness to this unspeakable capacity of human beings for violence, especially against children, is the worst of all. It confronts us with the challenge of maintaining hope and faith in humanity, while we look at the worst of us close up. My admiration for the courage of these professionals ‘working then scene is profound.